The Cradle of Humanity

The Cradle of Humanity
Author: Mark Maslin
Publisher: Oxford University Press
Total Pages: 257
Release: 2017
Genre: Science
ISBN: 0198704526

One of the fundamental questions of our existence is why we are so smart. There are lots of drawbacks to having a large brain, including the huge food intake needed to keep the organ running, the frequency with which it goes wrong, and our very high infant and mother mortality rates compared with other mammals, due to the difficulty of giving birth to offspring with very large heads. So why did evolution favour the brainy ape? This question has been widely debated among biological anthropologists, and in recent years, Maslin and his colleagues have pioneered a new theory that might just be the answer. Looking back to a crucial period some 1.9 million years ago, when brain capacity increased by as much as 80%, The Cradle of Humanity explores the implications of two adaptive responses by our hominin ancestors to rapid climatic changes - big jaws, and big brains. Maslin argues that the impact of changing landscapes and fluctuating climates that led to the appearance of intermittent freshwater lakes in East Africa may have played a key role in human evolution. Alongside the physical evidence of fossils and tools, he considers social theories of why a large, complex brain would have provided a major advantage when trying to survive in the constantly changing East African landscape.

The Cradle of Humanity

The Cradle of Humanity
Author: Georges Bataille
Publisher: Princeton University Press
Total Pages: 220
Release: 2005
Genre: Art
ISBN:

Art of indigenous peoples.

Caves of the Ape-men

Caves of the Ape-men
Author: Ronald J. Clarke
Publisher: Witwatersrand University Press
Total Pages: 149
Release: 2010
Genre: Science
ISBN: 9781868145102

A coffee-table book full of amazing pictures of unique fossils of early hominids The unique fossils featured in Caves of the Ape-Men were excavated at cave sites which today are clustered within the first World Heritage Site to be proclaimed in South Africa under the auspices of UNESCO. This full-color, coffee table book includes excellent visuals of the area, a brief account of its history, and an accessible assessment of its importance for understanding the emergence of hominids - the early creatures transitional between the great apes and man - and, later, some of the earliest representatives of our own species. The publication is based on short text boxes interspersed with illustrations of key fossil specimens as old as four million years. Also included are reconstructions of how these hominids might have appeared and the dramatic landscapes within which they were discovered. Three scientific books on different aspects of the Cradle of Humankind World Heritage Site have appeared recently. No informative, lavishly illustrated book has, however, been produced for purchase by the many international and local tourists who visit the area. As Sterkfontein is the richest single fossil hominid site in the world it deserves to be promoted as one of the foremost tourist attractions in Africa, along with half a dozen other local sites also immensely rich in fossil specimens. Together, these sites proclaim South Africa as one of the key areas which saw the emergence of human ancestors in the distant past.

Africa, the Cradle of Human Diversity

Africa, the Cradle of Human Diversity
Author:
Publisher: BRILL
Total Pages: 341
Release: 2021-11-22
Genre: History
ISBN: 9004500227

This book explores important chapters of past and recent African history from a multidisciplinary perspective. It covers an extensive time range from the evolution of early humans to the complex cultural and genetic diversity of modern-day populations in Africa. Through a comprehensive list of chapters, the book focuses on different time-periods, geographic regions and cultural and biological aspects of human diversity across the continent. Each chapter summarises current knowledge with perspectives from a varied set of international researchers from diverse areas of expertise. The book provides a valuable resource for scholars interested in evolutionary history and human diversity in Africa. Contributors are Shaun Aron, Ananyo Choudhury, Bernard Clist, Cesar Fortes-Lima, Rosa Fregel, Jackson S. Kimambo, Faye Lander , Marlize Lombard, Fidelis T. Masao, Ezekia Mtetwa, Gilbert Pwiti, Michèle Ramsay, Thembi Russell, Carina Schlebusch, Dhriti Sengupta, Plan Shenjere-Nyabezi, Mário Vicente.

In Search of the Cradle of Civilization

In Search of the Cradle of Civilization
Author: Georg Feuerstein
Publisher: Motilal Banarsidass Publishing House
Total Pages: 376
Release: 2005
Genre: History
ISBN: 9788120820371

In this pathbreaking book, the authors show that the ancient Indians were no primitives but possessed a high spiritual culture, which not only influenced the evolution of the Western world in decisive ways but which still hs much to teach us today. India's archaic spirituality is codified in the rich symbols, metaphors and myths of the magnificent Rig-Veda, which is shown to be much older than has been widely assumed by scholars. The present book also unravels the astonishing mathematical and astronomical code hidden in the Vedic hymns. Anyone interested in ancient cultural history, India, archaeo-astronomy or spirituality will find this well researched and cross-cultural work spellbinding and enriching.

Language and Development in Africa

Language and Development in Africa
Author: Ekkehard Wolff
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Total Pages: 375
Release: 2016-05-26
Genre: Business & Economics
ISBN: 1107088550

This volume explores the central role of language across all aspects of public and private life in Africa.

Out of the Cradle

Out of the Cradle
Author: William K. Hartmann
Publisher: Workman Publishing
Total Pages: 196
Release: 1984-01-01
Genre: Science
ISBN: 9780894807701

Describes and provides illustrations of the kinds of space exploration that may be done in the near future, and discusses the economic and political implications for the people of the earth

A Century of Nature

A Century of Nature
Author: Laura Garwin
Publisher: University of Chicago Press
Total Pages: 381
Release: 2010-03-15
Genre: Science
ISBN: 0226284166

Many of the scientific breakthroughs of the twentieth century were first reported in the journal Nature. A Century of Nature brings together in one volume Nature's greatest hits—reproductions of seminal contributions that changed science and the world, accompanied by essays written by leading scientists (including four Nobel laureates) that provide historical context for each article, explain its insights in graceful, accessible prose, and celebrate the serendipity of discovery and the rewards of searching for needles in haystacks.

The Journey of Man

The Journey of Man
Author: Spencer Wells
Publisher: Princeton University Press
Total Pages: 238
Release: 2017-03-28
Genre: Reference
ISBN: 0691176019

Around 60,000 years ago, a man, genetically identical to us, lived in Africa. Every person alive today is descended from him. How did this real-life Adam wind up as the father of us all? What happened to the descendants of other men who lived at the same time? And why, if modern humans share a single prehistoric ancestor, do we come in so many sizes, shapes, and races? Examining the hidden secrets of human evolution in our genetic code, the author reveals how developments in the revolutionary science of population genetics have made it possible to create a family tree for the whole of humanity. Replete with marvelous anecdotes and remarkable information, from the truth about the real Adam and Eve to the way differing racial types emerged, this book is an enthralling, epic tour through the history and development of early humankind.